Til Kingdom Come
by Kat Kat B
Summary: She unfurled her fist and peeked at the plastic stick in her hand to make absolutely sure she wasn't hallucinating, that she'd read it right the first time. Nope. No hallucinations, no April Fool's joke. The tiny test's plus sign glared at her.. s.4 AU
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes/Rambling:

Okay, this is my first Buffy fic. Yay me! I love Willow and Oz and really wish they could have made it. I wasn't ever really on board with the whole Tara thing because I love "first love" stories and tend to ship them (Buffy/Angel, Willow/Oz, Xander/Cordelia...you get the idea).

A couple things one should note in order for this to make sense:

-this fic goes AU after the Season Four episodes "Fear Itself" and "Wild at Heart" (kind of). In my world, Willow and Oz, as my mother would put it, "folded the laundry" (translation: had sex) after the haunted house debacle. The events of "Wild at Heart" remain canon, and Oz leaves Willow. :'(.

-This is will be a multichaptered fic, as one has most likely observed. I have it all planned out and this makes me excited. I can tell you that it definitely will get more interesting soon, but there's always all the set up that must be done.

-This is mainly Willow/Oz fluffy goodness, but there will be supernatural crap to fight. :3. What's Buffy: the Vampire Slayer without something to actually, you know, slay?

-Last one, I promise. I will try my darndest to get stuff right, but I'm not perfect. Feel free to nitpick. It's been a while since I've seen past season three, so bear with me, children.

Without further ado, I claim no rights to anything in this story except for (spoilers) Willow and Oz's child. Mkay?

Willow curled up in a ball on her bed, pulling a quilt over her head. Nothing had ever hurt this much before-Oz leaving, Miss Calendar dying, watching Buffy cry over Angel, seeing Xander in pain-none of it compared to this. She was completely alone this time, she was sure of it. She unfurled her fist and peeked at the plastic stick in her hand to make absolutely sure she wasn't hallucinating, that she'd read it right the first time. Nope. No hallucinations, no April Fool's joke. The tiny test's plus sign glared at her with all the condemning force of a murder jury. How she was going to explain this one to Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies was beyond her.

_Well, Willow, it's really not all that difficult, _her sarcastic side told her. _They all know about the birds and the bees...even Xander knows about the birds and the bees now! _

"Oh, shut up." She told herself. The opening and subsequent slamming of their dormitory door signaled Buffy's arrival.

"Is it just me or are all the professors here completely crazy? I mean, I wrote my own paper, which is way more than I can say for some of my classmates, and I had you look it over, and I only got a C+?" Buffy noticed at the end of her rant that Willow wasn't really listening. In fact, her best friend oddly resembled a cloth ball in the middle of her bed. "Willow?" She poked the ball and it moved. "Did a spell go wrong or something where you turned yourself into a blanket?"

Willow sat up and unwrapped the quilt from around her head so she could see Buffy, keeping her hand concealed. "No, no spells gone bad here. I wish it was only a spell gone bad." Her eyebrows scrunched together and her eyes showed hurt.

"What happened, Wills? What's wrong?" Buffy sat on the bed next to Willow. "Talk to me."

Willow wordlessly handed her the positive pregnancy test.

"What?" Buffy didn't realize at first what Willow had given her. "Oh. Oh, God. Willow, are you sure?"

Willow nodded. "That's the second one today, and they all keep telling me the same thing. Darn those tests and the same answers over and over. I want a Magic 8 Ball. That's not the answer I want."

"Well, Will, it looks like that's the answer you got. It's Oz's, right? The baby?"

Willow scowled a little. "Don't say the 'b' word just yet. And yeah, he's the only possibility outside of a Virgin Mary type thing, which I really doubt. She was all holy and stuff. I bet she made a great mother. Me? I'm pagan, vampire-slaying assistant Willow. I don't know if I can be Virgin Mary- mommy Willow." She began to panic and fidget with her hands.

"Well, we'll worry about Virgin Mary later. Have you considered everything, like giving it up and stuff? Wait, how long have you known and you didn't tell me?" Buffy settled on the bed for a lengthy talk and Willow did the same.

"I thought maybe it's a possibility about four weeks ago and I've been taking tests for four days now. I bought every one the pharmacy had, even the one on sale for a dollar ninety-nine cents! Even the dollar and ninety nine cent test told me I'm pregnant! Those things are never supposed to be right. I thought about it sort of, but I don't think I could. It just doesn't feel right." Willow bit her lip hesitantly. She never had been one extreme or the other on the issue of abortion, she hadn't thought about it much, actually.

"Yeah, I get that. When will you tell Oz?" Buffy asked.

"Geez, enough with the Inquisition already!" Willow protested.

"Sorry, Will, but these things kinda have to be taken care of. Oz should know." Buffy's tone was scarily serious in Willow's opinion.

"I know, but he's who-knows-where and he left me here. I don't wanna tell him just yet." Willow nervously looked away. "It's just that it hurt enough when I thought that Oz was gone forever, and it started to fade a little, but this brings all back up again. I don't know if I can deal with him coming back right now. One step at a time."

Buffy reluctantly nodded. "All right, Will. You win."

Willow's mouth suddenly dropped. "What am I going to tell Xander? And what about school? What am I going to say? 'Sorry I'm a big fat hoe and got pregnant, so I can't come to school anymore'? I like school. I want to stay here." She began to reach what Buffy recognized as full out Willow panic mode when Willow hopped up and began pacing the floor. "And my family? My mom and dad still think I'm completely clueless about...about well, you know."

"Sex?" Buffy supplied to a blushing Willow.

"Yeah. What am I going to do, Buffy?" She sank back down onto the blanket and began to fidget nervously again.

"Well, first, you're going to take a very deep breath. Next, Xander will understand. Maybe not at first, but he'll come around eventually. After that, I think the school can make exceptions for this kind of thing. And as far as your family is concerned, you've got us, Will. I know that sounds super Hallmark movie cheesy, but you do. You've always got me and Xander and Giles and...well, Anya will follow Xander in the 'eventually' category. Maybe. But the point is, you're not going to be alone with this thing. We'll fight through it like we always do."

Willow was trying not to cry and was losing the battle. Buffy hugged her tightly and Willow was grateful for it. She felt like she might just come undone when another thought occurred to her.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah?"

"What if the ba-... the, uh...what if it's like Oz?"

"Well, I kinda expected the silence and deep thinking as part of the it takes two theory." Buffy replied, a little confused.

"No, I mean the werewolf thing? What if it's genetic and it turns into a wolf or something?"

"Oh. That way of taking after Oz. Um, well, maybe you could ask Giles to do some research or something. I'm sure this isn't the first time a regular human is having a werewolf's ba-" She was cut off by a warning look from Willow. "Will, you will have to admit at some point along this road that it's a kid."

"Hey, one step at a time theory." Willow pouted.

"Okay, fine. But I'm sure this isn't the first time this has happened."

"Well, this idea's all fine and dandy except for the part where I have to tell Giles about it and that means I have to tell Xander first cause if I told Giles before Xander, I'm pretty sure I would hear about it until the world actually ends one of these times." Willow began to freak out and ramble again.

"Well, then, I happen to know that Xander's at the pub. We could stop there on the way to see Giles." Buffy got up and gathered Willow's coat and bag for her.

"This so doesn't coincide with my one step at a time theory." Willow grouched as she took her coat and bag from Buffy and followed her out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two_

_All right, I know you're out there. I got alerts, but no reviews. This makes me sad. I would love it if someone would take the time to jot down a couple of words, or even a smiley or sad face. But I sincerely thank those who added me to alert. _

_As usual, I don't own anything except for secondary characters I invented. It all belongs to Joss Whedon and all those lovely people who gave us Buffy in the first place. _

_And now, on to the story!_

Willow and Buffy walked down the sidewalk to the pub where Xander was currently employed. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that Buffy walked while Willow trudged.

"Come on, Will. The world will end before we get there if you don't start taking slightly larger steps." Buffy tried to coax her hesitant friend.

Willow stopped on the pavement. "Maybe we should go to a doctor or something, just to be sure. I don't want this to be a fluke and freak out Xander for no reason. Plus, I kind of officially want to really know."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "All right, but after that, no more stalling. You will have to tell everyone sometime."

"Yes, sometime. Sometime in the future, far, far away from now." Willow set her lips in place for her infamous "resolve face".

"You can't hide this forever," Buffy tried to reason with her friend as they turned towards the free clinic. "Cause, you know, eventually, you'll be little more rounded than you are now, and I really don't think you're going to be able to pass that off as freshman fifteen. Weight gain like that's usually a little more evenly distributed."

"I know, I know. But I'm clinging to the remains of my one step of at a time theory. Quite stubbornly, actually." Willow argued.

"I'm sorry, Will. I don't mean to be the adult one here, but this is kind of an adult problem."

"You're right, and I hate that because I know you're right," Willow said as they entered through the glass doors of the clinic. "I'm just kinda scared, is all."

"Yeah, I would be too. But you'll be fine. You're not alone in this." As they walked up to the registration desk, the receptionist raised an eyebrow.

"May I help you?" She asked pointedly.

"Yeah, um, uh..." Willow faltered.

"My friend thinks she might be pregnant. Can she see someone right away or does she need to set up a time?" Buffy stepped in and asked the receptionist.

"No, she can see someone right away. I just need her to fill out these and bring them back." She handed Buffy a clipboard and pen. She thanked the receptionist and took Willow to the waiting area.

"Here ya go. You'd know all this better than me." Buffy smiled and tried to alleviate some of the fear she felt from Willow, who was currently staring off to her right. "Will?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry." Willow took the pen and papers from Buffy and began to fill out all the blanks. Buffy took advantage of her friend's distraction to see what Willow had been staring at. Near an area that had obviously been set up to keep children busy while they waited, a red haired woman sat and played with a little boy with bright bluish-green eyes, almost the color of Oz's. Willow finished filling out the papers and took them back to the desk.

"And now we wait," Willow half-sighed and noticed Buffy was staring at the same woman and boy she had been staring at earlier. "Kinda freaky, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is a little." Buffy admitted. She loved her best friend dearly, but she had never really thought about Willow having children, at least not for many, many years yet. They sat in silence until Willow's name was announced loudly over the speaker.

"Well, here's to nothing," Willow attempted positivity as she rose. "I hope this doesn't take too long."

"I'll be right here when you get out." Buffy offered to Willow as Willow walked towards the hallway of examination rooms. After Willow was gone, Buffy stood and started to walk over to the soda machine, counting change in her hand as she did. She didn't even notice the man right in front of her and walked straight into a tall figure in a scratchy suit coat.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Buffy began to apologize until she looked up and realized the man was Giles. "Giles? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Buffy, hello. I was talking to a dear old friend of mine in the morgue next door. I wanted to ask him some questions about this recent set of murders in the hospital- I think they might be supernatural." He explained jovially. "By the way, did I just hear Willow's name called? Is she all right?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She just, um... had some weird symptoms and wanted to make sure it really was nothing." Buffy lied. It was the closest thing to the truth she could think of off the cuff. "She was kinda nervous about it, so we walked here and she's back there now. Where were these murders in the hospital?"

"Huh. Well, I do hope she's all right. There were a few murders in the children's ward and nursery. Really quite awful. A creature that kills small, defenseless children..." Giles trailed off. "Anyway, I need to do some looking into it. Don't forget to patrol near the hospital tonight and I'll tell you more when I know more."

"All right. See ya later, Giles." Buffy smiled,relieved. Giles believed her half-truth for now, at least.

"Yes, farewell. And tell Willow I hope she feels better soon." Giles said over his shoulder as he exited out to the parking lot.

"Yeah, I don't think she's getting over this anytime soon." Buffy said to herself. She got the Coke from the machine as she had originally intended to do. Picking up a dated and questionably crusty issue of Time, she tried to whittle away the minutes perusing the boring magazine.

"Buffy?" Willow asked weakly.

"Hey, Will. What's the verdict?" Buffy stood and asked concernedly.

"It's true. The doctor told me I'm six weeks into it." Willow's eyes shone with fear. "I'm really scared, Buffy. It's really real. I don't know if I'll be a good mother to this kid. I mean, I used to kill goldfish and my spells go wrong all the time and I don't want to hurt it, but I probably will cause I'm, you know, me." Willow panicked.

"Hey. You'll be good at this. Remember how you couldn't turn Amy back from a rat?"

"Not helping!" Willow whimpered.

"Hang on. Even though you weren't responsible for her, you did everything you could to take care of her. You gave her a house to live in, food, water, and a scary amount of toys to play with. You took responsibility there, Willow, for something you couldn't control and couldn't change. You'll be fine." Buffy reassured her friend. "You'll figure it out."

"I hope you're right." Willow sighed. "Well, I suppose I have to tell everyone now that it's officially real." She and Buffy walked towards the exit.

"Are you sure? I think I could allow for your one step at a time theory." Buffy inquired.

"Yeah, I know, but I think it's going to be like pulling off a Band Aid. The quicker I do it, the less it'll hurt." Willow decided.

"Okay, good. I'm tired of being the only one who knows and has to be responsible and all that stuff." Buffy said, deciding not to tell her about her earlier encounter with Giles.

"Yeah, you should try being me." Willow muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes:

_Thank you so much to my reviewers and watchers! It's cheesy, but you really do inspire me to keep going! I will bring Oz in at some point, I swear. :)_

_I do not own Buffy. I own my cookies and the chocolate I still haven't eaten from Easter. _

Willow and Buffy walked to the pub where Xander was currently working. As Buffy went to open the door, Willow paused.

"You sure you're good, Will?" Buffy asked.

"Yep," Willow replied, taking a deep breath. "I'm good." She entered the pub and saw Xander wiping down the counter and pouring a beer for the lone patron perched on one of the ancient barstools. "Yep, I'm good." She took another deep breath and took a seat at the the bar.

"Hey, Will!" Xander greeted her enthusiastically as Buffy sat next to her. "Hey, Buffster. What's up? Aren't you guys supposed to be doing the whole college thing today?"

"Well, we had a break between classes and we thought we'd come keep you company." Buffy said.

"Yep." Willow confirmed, looking anxiously about the bar and noted the jukebox off in the corner. Pulling some quarters from her jeans pocket, she handed them to Buffy. "Hey, why don't you go see if they have that one song I like?"

Buffy looked at her oddly, and then realized Willow was trying to talk to Xander alone. "Oh, yeah, definitely. I'll go do that." She hopped down from the stool and walked away.

"Everything ok?" Xander asked Willow. "Buffy is acting a little weird."

"Oh, no, everything's good with Buffy." Willow reassured him. "But, uh, Xander, can you stop making those glasses shiny for a sec? I kinda need to talk to you about something."

He recognized the worried tone in Willow's tone and flopped his towel down on the counter. "Yeah, sure, Wills. You know you can talk to me about anything. What's up?"

"Well, it's, uh, well..." She sputtered. "XanderI'mpregnantwithOz'sbaby."

"What? Was that supposed to be English?" He didn't catch her mangled words.

"Xander, I'm pregnant with Oz's baby." She slowed down and made sure she enunciated.

"Is this a new version of English where something like 'I failed an exam' or something not important sounds a lot like 'I'm pregnant'? Please tell me it is." Xander stammered nervously.

"No, same English. I'm pregnant, Xander." Willow said once more.

"My God..." He stared off into space. "I'm going to kill that guy." He clenched his towel angrily.

"No, no, it's not his fault, well I suppose in the technical sense it is, but...don't kill him!" Willow exclaimed.

"Did he know before he left? Does he know now?" Xander asked furiously.

"No to both. Geez, both you and Buffy with the inquisition." Willow muttered. "I'm not even entirely sure I will tell him. He's gone, and he left on his own. No one made him go. I don't know if I can talk to him, really, without it hurting too much inside. " Willow admitted. "Plus, all I have is his email, and is that really what I wanna do? Write something like 'Hey Oz, I hope you're doing okay and by the way, you're a daddy?'"

"Well, maybe not in those exact words, but, um, yeah, something like that. This is his thing too, Will." Xander tried to tell his friend.

"Are you mad, or hurt, or something?" Willow wanted to know.

"Not really, I mean, I'm kinda freaked out, but no, I'm not mad." Xander told her. "I still might punch Oz or something, just so you know."

"No, no punching allowed." Willow stated emphatically. "If anyone's going to punch Oz, it's going to be me."

"Well put." Xander grinned. The music changed abruptly, and Buffy came back, resuming her seat next to Willow.

"So, did you tell him about the..?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, I told him about the baby." Willow nodded, then looked at her watch. "Oh no! I've got class in like, five minutes! I've gotta go!" She stood up quickly. "Sorry to dump this on you and run, but I've got an exam today and I can't cut."

Xander quickly walked around the bar counter and gave Willow a hug. "It's gonna be okay," He whispered only so she could hear. He let her go and Willow started to walk away. "Now kick some academic ass!"

"Will do!" She called over her shoulder. Xander returned to his position as bartender.

"So..." Buffy said. "Weird, huh?"

"Yeah, weird. But she seems to be doing okay. Is she super sure?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, she's really, really sure. What do you think about her not telling Oz?" Buffy inquired.

"I don't know. I mean, it's her decision, but if I were Oz, I'd kinda want to know." Xander said quietly.

"Wow, Xander." Buffy remarked. "You're being kind of scarily mature about this."

"I know. It's freaking me out." Xander said cheekily and continued to polish the glasses.

"But I suppose you're right. I think Oz should know." Buffy twirled a strand of hair around her fingers. "Let's make a contingency plan. We'll give her a few more weeks, but if she doesn't tell Oz then, we will. Whatcha think?"

Xander set down the glasses he was about to move under the bar and looked Buffy in the eyes. "I think it's a total invasion of Willow's privacy and us messing with her life. However," he paused. We have every right to do that as her best friends."

"All right. We'll give her one month. Then we tell Oz."


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey everybody! Thanks again for reviewing/watching, it really means a lot! I'm so very sorry I didn't update over the weekend, but I got a nasty cold and wasn't functioning well for a large majority of the weekend. But, since I'm better now, you can expect the same schedule of updates. _

_ A couple of notes:_

_ -the six week mark Willow mentions is the point where the development of a baby actually slows down and several systems are already formed, they just get bigger until birth. ( I love it when I can use stuff I learned in class in the real world :D._

_ -I know absolutely nothing about witchcraft. I've done a little research, but I am still mostly knowledge-less. Therefore, if I'm wrong, I'm genuinely sorry. Point out my error and I'll amend it. _

_I wrote this under the influence of NyQuil, therefore, if it is imperfect, oh well. :)_

_As usual, I own nothing. _

Two weeks later, Willow sat in Psychology 101 next to Buffy, waiting for the professor to begin her lecture, her thoughts wandering to Oz and where he was now, what he was doing.

_I wonder if he misses me sometimes, or thinks about me_. Memories flashed through her mind quickly, none of them lasting more than a second or two: kissing Oz for the first time, discussing why it was the monkey was the only animal cracker with pants, lying in his arms after they made love for the first time. She could still hear him whisper, "Everything's different" in her ear and kiss her hair lightly. _You have no idea, Oz._ She snapped out of her thoughts as the lights dimmed and Professor Walsh's first slide appeared on the large projection screen. She nearly dropped her pen when she saw the title on the screen: Psychological Prenatal Development. She swallowed hard and took copious notes anyway, listening to Professor Walsh note the several things you could do wrong to harm a fetus before it was born. Willow's pen shook, and her handwriting was barely legible, but she made it through the lecture. When it was over, she packed up quickly and darted for the door. She was very far away from the classroom before Buffy caught up with her.

"Will? You okay?"

"Did you hear everything I could have already done? I mean, the six week mark was two weeks ago! I might have already screwed this kid up for life!" Willow panicked.

"You have not screwed up your kid for life. Most of those things were alcohol and drug related, and last I checked, you were not party girl." Buffy reminded her.

"Yeah." Willow smiled. "Hey, that means you paid attention in class if you remembered those things!"

"Tough job, but somebody's gotta do it." Buffy quipped. "Hey, Giles wanted us to meet up at his house tonight. Apparently, this thing that's terrorizing the hospital has gotten more vile and it's definitely supernatural."

"Oh, goody!" Willow exclaimed, genuinely excited for something to take her mind off her pregnancy and Oz. "I mean, supernatural thing that kills people. Bad." She amended her answer after Buffy shot her a quizzical glare. "Hey, it might be a good time to ask Giles whether or not the baby will be wolfy."

"Hey, it might be a good time to tell Giles there's a baby that could be wolfy." Buffy shot back.

"You've got a point. I mean, Xander knows, and you know. So it's time the whole gang should know." Willow said.

"Yeah, I think so, too. I gotta go and discuss the assignment with one of the T.A.s. See ya later!" Buffy hugged her friend and went her own way.

"Yep, see ya later." Willow smiled to herself. Once alone, the memories of Oz came flooding back. She squashed them down as quickly as they came. _He cheated on you with Veruca, he left, and he's not coming back. Just forget. God, I wish I could forget._

Later that night, the Scoobies were gathered in Giles' living room, Anya seated comfortably on Xander's lap and Buffy and Willow sitting on the couch opposite them. Giles was seated next to a large stack of demonology books.

"Hey, so um, I kinda have something to tell everyone." Willow said nervously. "I'm pregnant. The baby is Oz's." Intercepting a questioning stare from Giles, she added, "No, he doesn't know. I found out about a month after he left Sunnydale. I don't plan on telling him either." She nervously glanced at Giles and Anya.

"Wait, who's Oz again?" Anya asked bluntly and Xander gave her the short version of Willow and Oz's story.

"Well, congratulations?" Giles offered. He was slightly pale from shock- he loved Buffy and Willow dearly, like they were his own daughters.

Willow half-smiled. "Thanks Giles. I'm a little less freaked about it than I was before, but I'm still not sure what exactly I'm going to do."

"Well, I personally think it's stupid not to tell Oz." Anya piped in. "He's the father of the child, and it's as much him as it is you."

"Well, that's the second thing. It's not an 'it', exactly. I've been poking around with auras and stuff, and when I was practicing sensing and reading different auras, I was alone in the dorm. I felt a very obvious boy presence. I wanted to be sure I was doing it right, so I went to my house where there's nobody and tried it again. I felt the same boy presence again, so I really think it's a he." Willow waited for everyone's reaction.

"Whoa, check out those Wicca skills." Buffy said proudly. "That's awesome, Will."

" That is quite excellent Willow, but as for what Anya said, I believe I must concur," Giles added, "Especially with the problem at the hospital."

"What does the problem at the hospital have to do with Willow?" Xander asked.

"Well, I'm not sure what demon it is exactly, but it is one that is preying on infants and pregnant mothers. It's been terrorizing the maternity and newborn wards for a few weeks now." Giles said solemnly.

"Oh." Willow squeaked nervously.

"Precisely. I thought we should do some reading and discover what demon we're dealing with, exactly, and how to kill it." Giles finished.

"I'm all for the reading and the killing." Willow said quickly.

"Yeah, me too." Xander jumped in.

"Well, why don't you look and see if there's some sort of spell that could identify or harm it Willow. Xander and Anya, I'll need your help to start looking for what demon it is-" He was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Who in the world could that be?" Giles went to quickly open the door and stepped back to reveal Oz standing in the doorway.

"Hey." He said quietly.

"Oz?" Willow asked. "What are you doing here?"


	5. Chapter 5

_Yay for updates! They make the world a happier place. _

_I'm sorry if the next few updates don't get posted as regularly, but I have some major projects due soon and I like getting good grades. It's a nice self esteem booster and lets me get my degree. You know, the trivial things._

_Anyway, the usual. I do not own Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. If I did, I would be busy making Season 8 live action and airing it on TV. ;)_

Willow's mouth opened and closed a few times. _Words. Right. Collection of letters used in language to convey a meaning. _Oz appeared to have the same problem. He stared at Willow unbelievingly, like she was an apparition that would blow away on the breeze ruffling Giles' kitchen curtains.

"Hey, Oz." Buffy smiled at him.

He nodded to Buffy, but strode forward and took Willow into his arms. At first, he slid his arms around her hesitantly, asking, but as soon as she wrapped her arms around his neck, he crushed her to him, but for just a moment. He released her and stepped back to face the entire gang.

"I know I don't have any right to come back and think I might still have a place here. I hope you guys can forgive me for taking off." He stated.

"Well, I think that's the most words I've heard Oz ever use at once." Xander quipped.

"It's all right, Oz." Giles said empathetically. "Welcome home."

"Thanks." Oz replied.

"Well, I think this would be a good time to go check out that thing we were gonna go check out," Buffy interceded, seeing the confused look on Willow's face and sensing Oz's need to speak to Willow alone. She caught Xander's eye and jerked her head towards to the door. "Like, right now."

"You're absolutely right, Buffy." Giles caught her not-so-subtle hint. "Xander, Anya, I think we'll require your assistance." Giles gathered his jacket and followed Buffy to the door.

"Right, that thing." Xander acted like he just remembered. "Come on, Anya."

"Wait, what thing?" Anya never really did master subtlety.

"I'll tell ya all about it on the way." Xander promised, tugging on her arm and dragging her out the door with him.

"Well, that was obvious." Willow chuckled.

"Yeah, just a little." Oz shifted his weight back and forth, a nervous habit Willow picked up on.

"So, why are you back here? Is everything okay? Did somebody die? I hope nobody died. Where were you all this time?" Willow's questions exploded before she felt she could stop them. She sat down on the couch, unsure of how much longer her wobbly legs could hold her up. Oz had always made her a little weak in the knees, but this was a panicky type of wobbly feeling.

Oz sat next to her, but not as comfortably or as closely as he used to. "I'm back because I'm better. I think I have the wolf under control. I came back because I can be everything I couldn't before when the wolf was wild. And no, nobody died but who I used to be."

"Oh. You mean, that during a full moon, you don't get all wolfy anymore?" Willow asked.

Oz shook his head.

"Where'd you learn how to do this?" Willow started to smile a little and relax.

"I went to Tibet. I told you I would need to be away from people for a while." He reminded her.

"Tibet. With all the mountains and stuff?"

Oz nodded his answer. "I lived on a mountain."

"Wow." She smiled and hugged him. "I'm so happy for you, Oz!"

"Thanks." He returned her embrace. Her eyebrows suddenly raised, remembering Giles' earlier congratulations about the baby. She hugged him a little tighter, remembering his smell and the way his hugs felt.

"Everything okay?" Oz had always been able to read Willow better than anyone else. She pulled back out of his arms and nervously tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Well, yes and no, in a sense. I know that's super vague, but..." She paused and took a deep breath. "I found something out about a month and a half ish after you left, something important, and it could be a good something, but I'm still wrapping my head around it." Oz's eyebrows scrunched together as he tried to decipher what she was trying to say. "Well, what I mean is that... Oz, I'm pregnant."

His eyebrows raised. "Oh."

" 'Oh?' 'Oh!' is all you're going to say? Just 'oh', like it's a school thing or a slayage-related thing? Just 'oh'?" Willow started to melt down.

"Will... I'm sorry. Trying to wrap my head around it too. Okay. Head wrapped." He answered.

"How could you have your head wrapped around it already? I've known for six weeks now, and I think of new things everyday that make me freak out all over again, like this kid is going to look up to me, and take after me, and I'm going to be Mom to somebody, a boy, I think, but it's a lot to comprehend all at once." Willow rambled.

Oz smiled a little. "And this kid is going to look up to me and take after me, too, because now that I'm safe to be around people again, I'm not going anywhere. Wait, did you say a boy?"

"Yeah, but I need to deal with something else first. Oz.. I want to believe you're going to be here always, because that would be perfect, as corny as that is, but the last time we aimed for perfect, it didn't work so good." Willow said, remembering the Veruca and Xander debacles.

"No, it didn't, and a lot of that was my fault. I know you won't be able to trust me for a long time, or maybe even ever, but I'm going to try to get it back." Oz said earnestly. "I'm going to do everything I can to make you believe that I love you." He paused. "I wasn't going to say that right now, but...ah..."

"I do believe that you love me, Oz, and I still love you. I honestly wouldn't mind it if we kissed and forgot everything that happened." It was Willow's turn to pause. "That wasn't supposed to come out , either. But it doesn't work like that."

"No, it doesn't." Oz agreed. "Although, I wouldn't mind kissing and forgetting, either." Willow glared at him, silently asking if he had heard a word that just came out of her mouth. "Just saying."

"Well, your peanut gallery gets to be quiet for a while." Willow half pouted, but a hint of a smirk escaped her. "I think it's a boy because I've gotten better at this Wicca thing, and I can sense auras. I sensed a boy aura when I was alone."

"I always knew you'd be a good witch." Oz smiled. "We should probably catch up with everybody else." He stood and grabbed Willow's coat open for her.

"Yeah, we should go see what sort of vague thing they're investigating." Willow slipped her arms through the sleeves of her jacket. Oz went ahead and opened the door for her. He was just as courteous and chivalrous as she remembered, and that one, tiny constant in her crazy world made her smile the biggest she had since he left.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hey y'all-sorry about the lack of updates, but I have been majorly buried in homework. I can't wait for finals to come and go. _

_I realized something after I uploaded the last chapter-I didn't thank my lovely reviewers and watchers (no pun intended). I was quite distraught, so here we go. Thank you so very much to EmeraldCelebi13, Mistress of Red, Talipatra, Music of the wind, Shallie-Wa, GabbyKat13, rayofsunshine12, bjames238, and last but most certainly not least, . You guys make me smile like an idiot when I open up my email and there's a review alert. Just so ya know. _

_Anywhoot, onwards and upwards, children!_

_I don't own Buffy. I would have killed Riley off right away. :) (Sorry if there's any Riley-lovers in my midst.)_

Willow and Oz walked in awkward silence down the sidewalk until Willow broke the silence.

"So, um, you lived on a mountain?" She asked.

Oz nodded.

"Oh." A few more steps in silence. "Hey, Oz?"

"Yeah?" He replied.

"I need to tell you something else, what we were talking about before you came in. There's been some sort of demon-monster-evil type thing lurking around town lately, and we have to find out what it is and kill it, otherwise really bad things could happen, like, really bad and scary things." She rambled, not specifying exactly what was happening out of fear.

"Well, I did move back to Sunnydale." He commented.

"Yeah, I know, but these are really personal bad and scary things. This big evil thing has been killing people. Actually, only pregnant women, babies, and children." She admitted. "I'm probably only freaking out because of hormones, but even Giles thinks its gonna come after me."

"Won't happen." Oz shrugged.

"How do you know?" Willow asked. "It could. I mean, I'm pregnant. And affiliated with the demon slaying stuff. I bet they don't like me too much down there."

"It's not gonna happen because I won't let it, that's all. I'm not going to let anything get you, Will." His lips twitched a little bit in what Willow remembered to be his version of a reassuring smile.

"See, I want to believe that, but the last time I believed what you said, you slept with a werewolf chick and left me here. When you were gone, I felt like I was split in half and half was missing. The problem with the half I had left was that it wasn't doing well without the other half and started to fall apart into all these little halves and when the halves have halves....things get really bad and I cry a lot. Plus, now the only bottoms I can wear are the ones with drawstrings, and that's sort of your fault, so I'm going to blame you for it." Willow muttered.

"I'm sorry. But I swear, I'm a different person now than I was. I can be what you need." Oz tried to convince Willow.

"I wanna believe it, Oz, I really do." Willow smiled. "And I'm pretty sure I will soon and you have no reason to freak. I'm still working on stuff, ya know?"

He nodded and they continued to walk on. They met the Scoobies right outside the Magic Box.

"Well, guys, what did you find?" Willow asked light heartedly, knowing they'd only to give her and Oz some space, but then she noticed everyone's sober expressions and furrowed her brow slightly. "You really did find something?"

"Yes, I'm afraid there's been another attack by the monster we've been tracking." Giles said heavily. "It attacked a pregnant mother. Miraculously, she's alive, but she did lose her child. I believe the only reason she's still alive is that she is a practicing Wicca and tried to fend the beast off." He removed her spectacles and wiped them on his sweater. Willow's hand unconsciously moved over her stomach when Giles mentioned the lost child."I believe we should talk to her and see if she have any useful information." He concluded, placing his glasses back on his face.

"I want to kill this thing. I want to kill it slowly and painfully." Buffy said through gritted teeth. The gang had noticed over the years that Buffy had a special hatred for things that harmed children.

"I think I should talk to her," Willow said. Xander and Oz looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Well, I mean, we have a little in common. We're both witches and we're both going to have babies...well, she was going to." Willow noted sadly. "But I really think I could relate to her."

"I think that's a very logical idea, Willow." Giles supported her.

"Are you sure it's safe, thought? With that thing lurking around the hospital, do we really want to send Willow in there?" Xander asked, concerned for his best friend.

"I'll go with her." Oz answered, stepping just a little closer to Willow.

"I'll go, too." Buffy said. "I'll pack a little discreet weaponry, just in case. Giles, Xander, and Anya can hang out around the hospital and keep an eye out for all things monster-like."

"Sounds like a good plan to me." Willow smiled. "Let's get to finding out what this beastie actually is." She started to stride determinedly to the hospital, and it was all the other Scoobies could do to keep up with the stubborn witch they loved so dearly.

"You ready?" Buffy confirmed with Willow and Oz once they reached the doors. They nodded their consent. "All right. You guys let me know if you see something creepy. It shouldn't attack during the daytime, but I don't want to take any chances with Willow in there."

Willow, Oz, and Buffy then disappeared behind the glass doors.

"Hi." Willow greeted the cranky, middle aged receptionist. "We're friends of Shawna Wallace. We just wanted to see how she is, maybe cheer her up a little." Willow tried to break through the older lady's frown.

"Two floors up, room 342." The receptionist spat at them.

"Thanks!" Willow said cheerfully over her shoulder.

"Geez. Do only miserable people work in hospitals?" Buffy muttered as they boarded the elevator.

"I think so." Oz said back, and a janitor gave him a dirty look, then exited before them with a huff.

"Way to make people angry." Willow joked. "338, 340." She stopped off to the side of Shawna Wallace's door. "I think I should go alone."

Oz nodded and squeezed Willow's hand. She gave a half-smile, then entered the room. It was a pretty standard hospital room-white with ugly accents. Shawna didn't have a roommate, and Willow suddenly felt awful for her. She didn't admit it to anyone else, but she had already become very attached to her and Oz's baby boy. She couldn't think what it would be like to lose him, and then have to sit in a hospital alone all day.

"Hey." Willow greeted gently. Shawna looked at her in confusion. "I'm Willow Rosenberg, um, I'm a witch, too, and I heard what happened from one of the sisters at the Magic Box. I just came to offer some company."

Shawna smiled at her. "Thanks, Willow. Brightest blessings. You probably already know that I'm Shawna." She paused and tilted her head. "You're pregnant, with a boy."

"Yeah," Willow smiled. "My boyfriend and I weren't expecting it, and we had a bad break up, but, uh, I think it's going to be okay." She smiled a little.

"I'm glad you two have been given such a great blessing. I was supposed to have a little girl. She wouldn't have been my first; I have a two year old at home, Tyler John. My husband and I were so excited to be having a girl." She smiled, but her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, Shawna, I'm so sorry. I can't even begin to imagine..." Willow's eyes filled with tears, too.

"No, you can't." The older witch said honestly. "But I'll see her again, someday, I think."

"Yeah, someday." Willow fidgeted a little. "Hey, Shawna, I know this is hard to talk about, but, um...my friends and I know a lot about this stuff. We're trying to pin this thing down and kill it so it won't do this to anyone else. I was just wondering if there was anything you could remember that might help us stop this thing." Willow pleaded.

"You swear you'll kill it?" Shawna asked, and Willow nodded. "I was in for a routine exam when all of a sudden, the lights flickered. I was sitting alone in the exam room at the time, waiting for my OB/GYN to come in- she was finishing up with someone else. When the lights flickered, the sink started to gurgle, like it was backing up, then the water turned on by itself. I thought it might have been me, since I'm pretty new to Wicca, you know, unconsciously reaching out. The water just kept coming and coming-but then the weirdest thing happened. The water turned into the shape of this...thing. Its top half was like a woman, but the bottom half was like a snake. The next thing I know, I wake up all beat up and my baby's gone." Shawna started to cry again.

"Oh...thank you, Shawna. I promise, we'll track this thing down and get rid of it. I'll even tell you when we do." Willow said. She wasn't sure why, but she already felt a very close kinship to this woman.

"You're welcome, Willow. And thank you. Blessed be." Shawna smiled.

Willow rose to leave. "Yeah, you too."

"Hey. She tell you anything we could use?" Oz asked.

"Yeah, and other stuff, too. I feel so bad for her. She seems like such an awesome person." Willow replied.

"Well, we'll go get Giles and hit the books." Buffy said.

"Oh, thank God they're gone." Shawna flipped back the hospital covers and instead of legs, a long snakelike tail curled out over the edge of the bed. Reaching for the ugly pink cup on her bedside table, she poured a little water on the scales. They almost instantly turned brighter and shinier after her attentions. Looking out the window, she noticed it was several hours til the sun would set. "Damn. And I was hungry, too."

_Hee hee. I sincerely apologize for this being so late. It was easy to write in theory but not so much in reality. I really must thank three websites that have been crucial in the planning of this story: What To Expect, Monstropedia, and the Theoi Project. Some pretty amazing stuff on the interwebs. :D Anywhoot, tell me whatcha think. :) _


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